Alone No More
by Hokai Amplifier
Summary: Kurenai drags Kakashi to do some matchmaking with two of Konoha's most eligible- Hinata Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha! Pairings: HinaXSasu slight KakaXKure warning: slight-slash-major fluff
1. Hinata in a Different Light

Author's Note: This is my first fic, so please bear with me. I will gladly accept "constructive criticism" and if you wish to break my heart by flaming me, then IM me on So there!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… And it's better that way, I guess. Hahaha.

_Why did I allow Naruto to drag me in here?_ Uchiha Sasuke thought with irritation. _Because you allowed him to treat you to lunch when you had no money_, his inner voice answered. Sasuke frowned. He had agreed to visit Hyuuga Hinata with Naruto in exchange for a bowl of ramen last week. He was broke then, and very hungry. As much as he hated ramen, he had no other choice.

Naruto marched on to room 315. It seemed like Naruto was a regular here; the nurses smiled at him indulgently as they passed by. When they arrived, Naruto knocked three times and waited for someone to open the door. Sasuke heard voices inside, and then Kurenai-sensei opened the door, smiling at them.

"Ah, I see you brought Sasuke with you... Come in, come in," Kurenai said.

_I don't even care for the girl,_ Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away.

"N-Naruto-kun!" came Hinata's voice, soft and gentle, tinged with surprise. "I'm glad you came... And Sasuke-kun too…"

Sasuke chanced a glance at the Hyuuga. Her bed was propped near the window, and she was sitting up. Sunlight streamed through the open window, framing her face with a golden light. She looked almost ethereal. Her pearly eyes were reflections of happiness, and her delicate mouth was curved into a smile. Her right arm was bandaged, and there were a few bruises around her neck, staining her pale skin. Sasuke frowned. Those bruises were a stark contrast to her skin.

He sat on a chair close to the door. With Kiba and Shino, Hinata's teammates, Naruto, Kurenai and himself, the small room was a little crowded. Kiba was sitting at the foot of Hinata's bed, and Shino was sitting near another window, hands folded. Kurenai and Naruto were at the head of the bed, Kurenai stroking Hinata's dark hair, and Naruto talking to her. There were a few chairs scattered around the room, and a small refrigerator. On top of it were a vase of flowers, and a basket of fruits.

He could hardly hear Hinata's voice, but Naruto's naturally loud voice carried to him and he could guess what their conversation was about. It was actually more like a monologue, with Naruto boasting about his past missions and Hinata making sounds of agreement. Sasuke rolled his eyes. How Hinata could stand loudmouth Naruto's boasting was beyond him. It seemed like she was the only one in town willing to listen. Even Konohamaru and the others have long since stopped believing Naruto's adventures. Now that their batch have all been fully-fledged Chuunins, they had been sent on numerous missions, especially scouting for the lost village of dreams.

He covered his mouth and yawned. The heat was making him extremely drowsy. _Naruto baka is taking so much time. If I didn't come on my word of honor, I would've left._ Leaving was a tempting idea to him, but he was sure no one would treat him out again if he was broke. A sudden scraping noise broke him out of his thoughts. Naruto had pulled a chair close to Hinata. It seemed he was tired of standing.

Sasuke looked boredly at them. Naruto was no longer blocking his view of Hinata, and he took the opportunity to study her. All he knew about her was she was a Hyuuga, and the fact that she had a crush on Naruto since Ninja Training Academy. Hinata's hair was now about chin-length, with two long bangs on either side of her face. Her eyes, trained on Naruto, held admiration, and her small nose suited her small face perfectly. Her lips, it seemed, were curved into a permanent smile.

_I think she's the only one in the village who doesn't bother about growing her hair,_ he thought suddenly. _Not like Sakura and Ino, always trying to catch my attention by being loud…_ He stiffened slightly. Where had the comparisons come from? _She's quiet and doesn't say much, because her eyes say it all…_ Again he stiffened slightly. Briefly, he wondered if he ever saw Hyuuga Hinata angry. He shook his head. No, she seemed incapable of such a strong emotion. Bathed in the sunlight in mid-morning, she looked like an angel among petty humans.

Her hands, he noticed, rested comfortably in her lap. Her voice held none of the stutter she used to have when they were younger, when they were genins. She seemed to have the self-confidence she greatly lacked when they were younger. _Funny how time changes people, _he thought. Although he didn't know Hinata that much, he heard some things about her, praises, mostly, for attaining chuunin rank along with him and the others. Before, Sasuke had heard they she was being threatened to be disowned for the fact that she was too weak. But studying to be a medical nin now, she had respect, especially since being a medic required little hand-to-hand combat, and she was popular for her handmade ointments and extensive knowledge in medicine.

"…What about Sasuke-kun?" Hinata's voice carried to him. He looked at them inquiringly, and Kurenai-sensei beckoned him to come closer. Much as he didn't want to, he couldn't disobey the lady out of respect. He went closer, dragging his feet. Hinata smiled at him when he came near. Instantly, he was reminded of springtime, with flowers in full bloom, and birds chirping. He felt something warm spread through his body. At seventeen, he was new to the feeling. It was a lot like when his mother held him when he was very young.

"What is it?" he asked, rather brusquely.

"I'm going out of the hospital in two days, Sasuke-kun…" Sasuke felt himself drifting away at the sound of her voice, so soft and gentle.

"There's going to be a party at her house!" Naruto shouted.

"Please come…" Hinata said, her eyes focusing on him, pleading.

How could he refuse an angel? He nodded silently. Kurenai-sensei looked at him briefly, curious, and shook her head.


	2. Kurenai's Idea

Author's Note: Chapter 2! sigh As I said, this is my first fic. No flaming people, just constructive criticism! puppy eyes Ahahaha… Did I get to you? XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But I own a poster. :D

_I wonder why he agreed to come,_ Yuuhi Kurenai thought to herself that evening as walked the streets of Konoha alone. Antisocial Uchiha Sasuke, assenting to come to a welcome home party! And it was Hyuuga Hinata's party, for heaven's sake. They weren't close, were they? _Maybe he's coming because he wants to get inside the Hyuuga mansion and maybe learn the Byakugan's secret._ Kurenai shook herself. She really had to stop letting her imagination take flight with her. Even if Sasuke came to learn of the Byakugan's secret, he still wouldn't be able to know by coming to a _party._ Kurenai sighed. Maybe she was over-reading body languages. He wasn't that grumpy anymore, anyway. He had changed a little since entering the Ninja Academy. Before, he was a grumpy, antisocial kid who didn't talk to anyone and refused to take orders. Now, he was less grumpy and was more willing to take orders from Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage. But he was still antisocial. _Well, maybe he's coming out of his shell now. _

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't take heed of her surroundings before she bumped into someone. "I'm sorry," she said, and then stopped. "Kakashi!"

"Good evening, Kurenai," Hatake Kakashi said, without glancing from his book. It was _Icha Icha Paradise_. She sighed. Lately, Jiraiya's stuff had been mainstreamed, and even kids who were still out of the Ninja Academy knew about it.

_Should I tell him about Sasuke?_ She thought. _I should. _ "Kakashi, tell me if I'm overreacting here. Sasuke had just agreed to come to Hinata's welcome home party. There's something amiss…"

Kakashi looked up from his book, and cocked his head, interested. "I should think so. He didn't come to Sakura's birthday last year, and he sees much more of her than he does of Hinata."

She sighed, relieved. She wasn't off in reading the lines, then.

"Why was Hinata in the hospital in the first place?" Kakashi asked.

"She was almost poisoned to death when she sucked poison out of an injured shinobi she saw while patrolling. It turns out that the poison was from a highly toxic plant that grows on Konoha's borders. Hinata didn't have her special medicine for poison then, so she just sucked it out. She got scrapes and bruises from carrying the poisoned nin. Of course, she was getting weaker herself." Kurenai smiled, thinking of her student's selflessness. She was unlike the other Hyuugas who were cold and ruthless.

Kakashi shrugged. "Makes sense if it was Hinata." He paused for a moment then started walking. Kurenai matched his steps. "But I wonder why Sasuke was willing to come…"

They went inside a small restaurant. "That's what bothers me," Kurenai agreed. They took a seat. "I don't even know if they had exchanged any words at all."

"I don't think so." Kakashi pocketed his book. He stopped when he saw a glint in Kurenai's eye, and a mischievous look. "What are you planning?"

Kurenai smiled wider. "Well, they compliment each other, I think. Kind of like ramen noodles and hot water. One needs the other to be delicious."

Kakashi cocked his head. "What are you driving at?"

_Guys are so dense!_ "I think we ought to give them a push."

"What push?"

Kurenai gritted her teeth. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kakashi cut her off.

A waiter came, and they both ordered. "Don't tell me you're going to play matchmaker between Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata."

Kurenai smiled. _Finally! _"Exactly."

"I haven't heard of a more farfetched pair anywhere."

"Why not? Hinata-chan isn't so shy anymore. She can talk to anybody who talks to her. And Sasuke, he needs somebody to talk to. Hinata needs someone too. Look at how Naruto's ignoring her for Sakura," she said with an injured sniff, displeased at the injustice thrust upon her student. "Those fangirls of him are… Well… Say, _devoid of substance_. Since Sakura's returning Naruto's affection­—"

"Stop. _Sakura is returning Naruto's affection?_" Kakashi was obviously surprised at this piece of news.

"Don't you notice?" Kurenai asked, shocked. "Sakura's not berating him anymore, and she enjoys Naruto's company. She doesn't decline when Naruto asks her out, and she's always smiling when she's around. She's given up on Sasuke a long time ago."

"Oh? I wonder why I don't see that…"

"You need a woman, Kakashi," Kurenai pointed out.

A tinge of pink appeared on what was uncovered of Kakashi's face. "Not at this moment."

"Anyway, as I was saying… Hinata-chan will do wonders on Sasuke, I should think."

"What kind?"

"For one thing, her gentleness might rub off on him. Hinata has a way with people." Kurenai winked at Kakashi. "You never know. I think they look perfect together."

"When have you thought of all this?" Kakashi wanted to know.

"Just now."

For some reason, Kakashi chuckled. Kurenai was really amusing.

"That's a good plan, isn't it?" she asked.

"I wonder how you'll pull it off."

"Oh, you'll be there to help me, won't you?" she smiled at Kakashi.

"Ohohoho, old lady. You're alone in that."

"WHAT?! You're not convinced?" Kurenai felt the blood rise to her cheeks.

"Sure, after what you said, I think that they would look good together too. But, matchmaking has never been my thing."

Kurenai shook her head. Sasuke was Kakashi's student. He would be able to do the job from the inside. He knew Sasuke well, and Sasuke trusted him, so Kakashi would be an asset for her plan.

"Please say yes, Kaksashi."

"I can't. Why do you want to do this anyway?"

Kurenai bit her lip. Why, anyway? "I love Hinata like my own child. She's a sweet girl, and I'd do anything to help her. I know she feels alone, without anyone to give her affection. You know her mother died when she was young, and her father… Well. Even Neji, her cousin, doesn't give her at least brotherly affection. And that's what Hinata needs."

"And you're sure Sasuke can give that to her?"

Kurenai paused for a moment. Somehow, she had faith that her plan would work if she pushed through until the end. "Yes, I'm sure. Look, both of them are alone. At their age, that's very difficult."

"What if they outgrow this stage? What will happen to your plan?"

"They're becoming men and women fast." Kurenai sighed. "This is not a stage anymore."

"I see." Kakashi nodded. "I can see you're serious about this."

Kurenai nodded. "So you'll help me?"

"Still no."

Kurenai clenched her fists, feeling frustrated. She so wanted to throw a kunai at him right now. She needed him if she was to succeed in her operation. Talking to him was a washout. An idea formed in her mind. If she couldn't talk Kakashi into helping her, then somebody could _force_ him to do it. And force needs power. Who would have the most power in the village more than Hokage-sama? She hid her idea behind a glare directed at Kakashi. "Fine." She stalked out the restaurant, eager to carry on with her plan.


	3. Kakashi Gets Backmailed!

Author's Note: I forgot to tell, but the characters may be a little OOC, and that the chapters are based on the different POVs. Ahahaha. Yeah. Bear with me, dudes!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… sob I wish I did… But that would be impossible.

"Fifty percent??!" Kakashi nearly shouted.

"Yes, Hatake. I will dock a half of your pay if you do not cooperate in getting together Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke."

Kakashi looked dumbfounded. "Do they even want to be together?"

"Oh, they will realize that, Hatake. I will know if you do not participate in this. And rest assured that I will be true to my word." Tsunade gave him an evil smile. "Those two children just need a push. You will see. We women know about these things." She winked at Kakashi and sent him off.

"Wait a moment. Kurenai told you about this, didn't she?" Kakashi looked at Tsunade suspiciously. Truly, sometimes Hokage-sama behaved like a child.

"It doesn't matter," Tsunade dismissed his question with a wave of the hand. "What matters is that you help in bringing them together. Think of it as an A-rank mission. And trust me," she added ominously. "I _will_ know what you do."

Kakashi nodded, and vanished in a puff of smoke. He appeared next to Kurenai in the hospital room. She was alone there with Hinata.

"Hello, Hinata-kun, how are you doing?"

Hinata smiled easily. Usually, if other people talked to her, she would blush and stutter. But that was then. "I'm fine here, Kakashi-sensei; why aren't you training your team?"

"I left them for a few moments. I wonder if I can talk to your teacher for a minute outside?"

Hinata smiled at Kurenai. "Of course."

Kakashi went outside with Kurenai. "Did you talk to Hokage-sama about this silly plan of yours?"

Kurenai, unflinching, said, "Yes, I did."

"Do you know what she threatened to do?"

"No."

"She threatened to cut my pay in half."

"Hokage-sama really _is_ good," Kurenai murmured, but catched the pissed glint in Kakashi's eye. "Listen Kakashi, I know it's against your will, but those two kids are having a hard time with the world. They may not show it, but they need affection. What we as teachers and parents give them isn't enough. Trust me, I know."

"I don't make those kinds of things my business."

"Well, now it's your business. Please, really, think of it as a favor you're doing to me. Oh please…"

Kakashi scratched his head. "Fine. But if anything goes astray, you'll take the responsibility. And you tell me what to do."

Kurenai beamed. "I will. I already have one mapped out. Tomorrow a clone is going to take Shino and Kiba training, Hinata will be alone. You send Sasuke here with something. I'll look on them. I'll see what happens."

Kakashi didn't say anything about it, except, "What time shall I send Sasuke over?"

"About 9:30 in the morning is all right."

Kakashi disappeared again in a puff of smoke.


	4. Hinata Cries

Author's Note: Well, here I am again! Are you enjoying my story so far? I wish you are hehehe.

Disclaimer: I so do not own Naruto. Sakura does… I think. Or probably Hinata. Or maybe me! wistful smile

"Hinata, I'm going to train Kiba and Shino, all right? Are you going to be all right here? Or would you rather I stayed here?" Kurenai asked Hinata.

Hinata smiled and shook her head. "I'm going to be fine, Kurenai-sensei. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine here; there are nurses coming to check up on me anyway." She glanced at the clock. It was only a quarter to seven. She wished they didn't leave early, but she understood that her teammates needed training also.

"All right, just send word if you need anything," Kurenai said, and she, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru went out.

The door closed and she was alone. She sighed, staring out the window. _Why can't Naruto-kun notice me after all these years? Why can't he see that I care for him? _ Sakura and Naruto were moving on to becoming a pair right in front of her eyes. She didn't need rumors to know that Sakura was accepting Naruto's love for her. She remembered the time that Sakura told her Naruto had asked her out on Valentine's Day, and she was giggling, giddy and excited. That was the ultimate sign that she knew she never would have a chance to win Naruto. _How can I move on if nobody's there to take his place?_ She sighed again and studied her hands.

Shino and Kiba were just her teammates. Although she knew they would willingly eat fire to protect her, they were like brothers to her. Same as Neji. He no longer hated her, but rather, he had grown to be an overprotective cousin who would also protect her. Shikamaru and Chouji were only friends… Shikamaru and Ino were together now, and Chouji… Well… he was married to his junk food. _This just leaves Uchiha Sasuke…_ She shook her head. She did not want to like Sasuke just because she had no one else. That wasn't fair to him, or to her. _Kami-sama, please just give me a sign… _She wanted love to take its own time, but she was getting impatient all the same. She just wanted to be loved.

A knock came at her door, and she got out of bed, slipping her feet into fuzzy slippers provided by the hospital. She walked to the door and opened it. It was Neji.

"Neji-niisan! Come in," she said.

"Hinata-sama, are you sure it's all right for you to be getting out of bed now?" Neji asked her, worry etched in his eyes.

"Nonsense, Neji-niisan. Of course it's all right," she said. Smiling at him. She sat on the edge of her bed, and he took a chair opposite her.

He gave her the bouquet of flowers he was holding. "These are for you. And… from Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama as well."

Hinata sighed. "Don't bother about including them, Neji-niisan, I know these are from you only."

Neji looked away. "Have they visited yet?"

Hinata laughed bitterly. "Them? What do you think?"

He didn't look at her. "They haven't."

"Very good." She sighed. "I'm getting cynical for my age. Seventeen is only very young, don't you think?"

"Yes, Hinata-sama."

She walked to the window on the other side of the room. "I wish I had the courage to defend my decisions. Or make them."

Neji looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

She played with the petals of one of the flowers for a moment. "Naruto-kun. I wish I'd have told him what I felt much earlier. There were many opportunities, but I passed them all."

"You don't need him," Neji said darkly. "I'm sure someone is waiting for you."

Hinata smiled wanly and faced her cousin. "I wish I could think that way, Neji-niisan. But I'm beginning to think that no such idea exists at all."

Neji shook his head. "I think there's someone for each of us, Hinata-sama."

Hinata smiled ruefully. "You _have_ changed, Neji-niisan. Listen to you! What have you been doing? I mean, what has TenTen been doing to you?"

He chuckled. "You don't want to know, Hinata-sama."

Hinata widened her eyes in mock horror. "Neji-niisan!"

Neji laughed. He stood up and went to Hinata. "Hinata-sama, just take your time. Don't rush things. Love finds you, not the other way around." He ruffled her hair.

She smiled. "Thank you, Neji-niisan," she whispered. Tears were forming in her eyes, but she didn't dare show them in front of Neji. She smiled at him bravely. "I'll keep in mind what you've said.

"Good," he said quietly. "I have to get going now."

"Bye," Hinata said. "Take care."

Neji left. She was all alone again. She briefly considered pulling one of the nurses into her room so she would have company, but she decided against it. They had a job to do, anyway.

She lay spread-eagled on her bed. _Even Neji-niisan is content now. What about me? Everybody seems to have found someone now. What about me…?_ She thought about how alone she was, and the tears that were forming earlier let go. She buried her head in her pillow and cried, caught up in a tempest of her own emotions. The world seemed drab to her. She thought about Naruto's smile and incredible enthusiasm. She cried harder. _I'll never have him._


	5. Sasuke Comforts Hinachan

Author's Note: The chapter are kinda short… Because the chapters are based on their POVs. Sorry for that. Hehehe.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and never will.

Sasuke walked briskly down the corridor. He felt a little annoyed that Kakashi had told him to give a basket of fruits to Hinata. Why didn't he pick Naruto instead? Why him? But that was a little part of him. A much bigger part was excited at seeing the angel again, an angel by the name of Hyuuga Hinata.

He knocked at the door of room 315. There was no answer, but he thought he heard sobbing. He opened the door, and found Hinata sitting at the windowsill, her eyes red from crying with tear stains on her face.

"Good morning," he said quietly. He went nearer to her. "This is from Team 7."

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said wanly. She dropped to her bed and took the basket from Sasuke. "Thank you."

Sasuke looked at her closely. He compared the tear-stricken image of Hinata to the vision he saw yesterday. Her happy face was infinitely preferable to her crying face. He found himself wishing to wipe away those troublesome tears. "Hinata-kun…"

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this," she said, wiping away her face with her arm. "I'm just… So lonely."

He gazed at her pearly eyes full of sadness. He sat down next to her on the bed. "It's all right," he said in a soothing voice. He was surprised at himself. Usually, when he saw a girl cry, he would be annoyed to no end and leave that girl. But it was different with Hinata. He found himself wishing to stay. "Did someone make you cry?"

Hinata smiled. "Not really…"

"You're just thinking of Naruto baka, that's all…"

She looked surprised.

"The whole village knows except the idiot himself," he shrugged. "Don't cry now."

"He and S-Sakura…" Hinata gave a sniff, then burst out crying, flinging herself to Sasuke. "T-They are s-so happy together! W-w-why c-can't Naruto-k-kun notice me? W-what does Sakur-c-c-chan have that I-I d-don't?" she proceeded to cry stormily, gripping Sasuke's shirt front. "A-all my f-friends have s-s-someone w-who l-l-loves them… M-my family d-doesn't even visit m-me here…"

Sasuke put his arms around Hinata hesitantly. "Sshh… It's not right for a Hyuuga to cry…" he bit his lip, wishing he had never said that. "But there, just let it all out…"

Hinata's crying stopped, but she didn't let go of Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun… I don't know why I'm crying in front of you… I'm sorry… I must be a burden to you…" she looked up at him.

He swallowed. His hand brushed away a tear that fell from her eye. "It's all right, I guess…"

She released him and fell back to her pillows. "Don't you have training?" she took a tissue from the bedside table and wiped her eyes.

"I have… But Kakashi-sensei said that if you need anything, I was to see to it." He shrugged. "He sent me here."

"I see…" she sat up again and sighed.

"Do you need anything?"

"Nothing... Except company…" she looked at him, misery etched in her face.

"Then I'll stay," he said simply.

Hinata sucked in her breath. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."


	6. Peeping Kurenai

Author's Note: Thankyouthankyouthankyou to those who reviewed, signed or otherwise. This is a reaaaallly short chapter, cause it's based on Kurenai's POV, and then it'll shift again. Thanks to the reviewers again! You give me motivation to continue the fic.

Disclaimer: I own Naruto!!! Hahaha! …You're not fooled, aren't ya?

Kurenai smiled and sat back, satisfied. She was watching the whole scene from a hole she bored from the wall last night when Hinata was sleeping. She was now sitting on a roof while peeking in at Hinata's room. Oddly, what she was doing reminded her of Jiraiya, but she consoled herself with the fact that there was nothing wrong at what she was looking at.

"I see you have been doing your job," a voice said near her ear.

She jumped back, terrified. "Kakashi! You scared me, you jerk!"

Kakashi chuckled behind his mask. "It's wrong to spy on people's private businesses, Kurenai."

Kurenai turned red. "How would I know what's going on if I don't look?"

He said nothing, but vanished again. Kurenai looked into the hole again, smiling wide. Sasuke was sitting on the bed with Hinata, talking. Once or twice, he laughed, which came as a surprise. But as she believed, Hinata _has_ a way with people.

She smiled. Her mind went back to what Hinata answered when Sasuke asked her why she was crying. _"I'm just… so lonely." _ She frowned. Hinata was more affected than what she previously thought. _Well, at least she's on better terms with Uchiha Sasuke._ Her lips curved into a smile. The two of them were achieving the first step.


	7. Neji Arranges the Party

Author's Note: Umm… This is the last chapter of the original fic. I'm going to revise the later chapters so that they won't seem rushed. I'm going to try my best, anyway. XD Hope you guys still like it…

Disclaimer: I love Naruto, but I don't own him. Actually, I like him without his orange suit.

Neji sighed. He was overseeing the preparations for Hinata's welcome home party. Although Hyuuga Hiashi consented, he wasn't giving a damn about the preparations, or even to the fact that his daughter was in the hospital in the first place.

"Move it a little more up," he said to the servant who was putting up the banner. More servants carrying bowls of food went past him. "Be careful," he warned. He looked outside. It was almost time for him to pick up Hinata.

"Finish putting up the banner, I'm going to pick Hinata-sama up now," he told the servant. She murmured something, and went down the chair to inspect the banner.

Neji went outside the main house. He stopped for a moment, letting the air blow all over him. He jumped on the first roof he saw and sped on until he came to the Konoha hospital. He went inside and nodded at the nurses.

He strode to Hinata's room. The empty baskets of fruit were gone, and so were the vases of flowers. The room was empty, except for the people in it. Hinata, Kurenai, Shiba, and Kino were playing cards, and Akamaru was curled up on the floor.

"Hinata-sama," Neji said.

"Oh, Neji-niisan," Hinata smiled at him. She was happy to be getting out of the hospital. "Just a moment." They finished their game, and Hinata went to Neji, her teacher and teammates following them.

Even if Hinata was all right, Neji didn't want to strain her, so he opted to just walk the streets of Konoha. He placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder. He checked behind him to see if Kurenai, Akamaru, Kiba, and Shino were within earshot then leaned in to whisper to Hinata. "Are you all right now, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata smiled ruefully. "A little bit, Neji-niisan. Whenever I get lonely, I think about what you said, and that helps… But not a lot," she hung her head. "I'm sorry, but sometimes I feel jealous of you and TenTen. She may well be a Hyuuga now." She smiled teasingly at Neji. "Isn't that right?"

Neji looked away, a blush forming in his cheeks. "Now, Hinata-sama…"

Hinata waved a hand. "What's there to be embarrassed about? It's not exactly a secret."

"Well… Wait, Hinata-sama, I'm inquiring about your health, and you manage to turn it around to tease me about Ten-chan," he ruffled her hair playfully.

Hinata grinned and swatted his hand away. "Neji-kun, if you don't want your ponytail to get out of place, you better stop it with my hair right now," she said in a mock warning voice.

Neji laughed, and placed his hand on her shoulder again. He looked at the sky, and quickened his pace. "We better hurry, Hinata-sama, or we might be late for your party."

"Come on," she said, and jumped on a roof. Kurenai and the others followed suit, and they leaped from rook to roof until they reached the Hyuuga estate. They went in through a side gate and knocked on the door.


	8. Hinata and Sasuke Together

Author's Note: This is the longest chapter, I think And really kinda fluffy/sappy. Um… Bear with me guys! Keep the reviews coming!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… I get so tired and depressed saying it that I might just not include it in the later chapters. Just kidding. :D

Sasuke stood directly in front of the door, hands folded. Hinata should be coming any minute now. Suddenly, there was knock on the door, and a servant came hurrying to open it. His heartbeat went faster, and he wondered about the curious sensation. His palms were sweating as he anticipated Hinata coming in.

Time seemed to slow for Sasuke. Being in front of the door, he was the one Hinata saw first. Her hair at the top was a little messy, and she seemed oblivious to that fact, which made her all the more attractive to him. Her eyes met his, and he held her gaze. She halted and the two of them just stared, until a crimson stain found its way to Hinata's cheeks and she averted her gaze. Sasuke still watched her, even as she had stopped looking at him, her attention captured by some of the girls she had gotten close to during the exams. They embraced and kissed Hinata, and thanked Kami-sama that she was out of the hospital. Some more people approached her and congratulated her on her bravery in saving the injured shinobi. She smiled and thanked them all and said she was happy to get out of the hospital too.

He shook his head and wondered at her demeanor. If she was any other girl, she would be proud and talk some more about what she had done in a loud voice, to catch his attention. But instead, Hinata just smiled and thanked them for their praises and well-wishes. Well, she wasn't like any other girl. He had arrived on that conclusion since he had kept her company yesterday. They had talked much about their families, exchanged opinions, and became friends. They became comfortable with each other very fast, but Sasuke still felt a knot in his stomach when he saw her.

Looking up, he saw Hinata walking towards him. Before, she tottered in hesitant steps, but now she was taking longer strides, her hands swinging a little by her side. "Sasuke-kun, I'm really glad you could come!" she said cheerfully. She looked at the spot where Naruto and Sakura were talking earnestly, and her face fell. Sasuke felt his stomach sink at the sight of her and wanted to say something, but before he could, Hinata had put on a cheery smile. "Come, we should eat now." He followed her to the dining table, which was laden with food, and surrounded by hungry nins.

After he had piled some food on his plate, he stepped out of the throng and waited a little for Hinata. "I think I want to eat outside," she whispered to him when she had joined him. "There are way too many people here."

"Good idea," he said, and they went outside.

Hinata led him to the training grounds. "People won't come here," she said confidently. They sat down on the ground and started to eat in companionable silence. When they had finished, they placed their plates on the ground. Hinata sighed and looked at the sky, thinking. "Time surely changes people…" she remarked.

Sasuke shook his head. "Yes. But what made you say that all of a sudden?"

Hinata smiled indulgently. "I've been doing some thinking while I was in the hospital. I remember, when we were genins, how I used to stutter and was afraid of anyone and anything. But I'm not like that anymore now," she said.

Sasuke nodded then smiled. "I… quite remember. I didn't mix with you then."

"Yeah…" she said, her eyes taking on a faraway gaze. "I like myself better now. I like you now too. Before… well, I wasn't paying attention to you. I thought that anyone who has a fan club wasn't worth looking at, since he might be conceited. But, you're not such a bad guy after all." She smiled at him playfully.

Sasuke laughed. "Who knows what might happen in the future. The village itself has changed slightly too."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "I wonder what will happen in the future?" she rested her chin in her hands. "I certainly don't want another war."

"Me too," Sasuke said. "But there are more missions when Konoha's involved in a war. And I like going on missions."

"Well, that would give me something to do too," Hinata said. "Healing injured shinobis and all that."

Sasuke felt something brush his finger and looked down. It was a flower, with white petals. It reminded him of Hinata herself, pure and strong. He plucked the flower and gave it to her.

He could see her turn slightly pink. "Thank you," she said, twirling the flower in her hands.

He studied her hands for a while. They were porcelain white, smooth and small. Without his realizing it, his hand had strayed on top of hers and was holding it lightly. Only when Sasuke was snapped out of his thoughts did he realize that he was holding her hand. It was as smooth as he expected. He rubbed her knuckles.

He turned to look at her. She was gazing at him, slightly red. She smiled faintly at him, and he smiled back. It was one of reassurance and an unspoken promise. _Hinata… Your hands are so soft… Could I just hold them forever? _ He shook himself, slightly annoyed. Where had that thought come from? Lately, he had found himself thinking sappy thoughts involving Hinata, even more so when he had been alone with her for the rest of the day the day before, and when he came back yesterday.

Hinata rested her head on Sasuke's lap. He was quite surprised, but didn't let on. He smiled at her again, and she smiled back, focusing on the flower he gave. _She's like a child… innocent, and trusting. _

The sun slowly set. "I don't get why people like sunsets so much," Sasuke said, breaking them of their silence.

"I do, Sasuke-kun," she said. "It's beautiful."

"Maybe it is, but how can people look at it when they get spots in their eyes?" Sasuke absent-mindedly picked on a patch of grass near his hands, resisting the urge to play with her hair.

"I guess so. But it's interesting to watch light turn to dark. Even more so when it's sunrise. Somehow, it gives one a glimmer of hope."

Sasuke just nodded, comparing Hinata to the sun.

A sigh came from her again.

"Why do you sigh so much, Hinata?"

"I do that when I want to push away sad thoughts in my mind, Sasuke-kun."

"Then why do you always think of sad things?"

"Sometimes I can't help it. They enter my mind, and I don't want to entertain those kinds of thoughts anyway. I think I have too much of them." She laughed, but it wasn't a joyful one.

"I hate it when you sigh," Sasuke said simply.

"I hate it too, but I can't help it when I think of sad things."

"An angel shouldn't be sad," Sasuke murmured.

"What?" Hinata twisted to look up at him. "What did you say?"

"Nothing… My tenshi…" The last two words were more of a whisper, but Hinata caught them anyway.

Hinata turned pink and looked away. "W-why tenshi?"

"You look like one, that's all." Sasuke sighed, wanting to kick himself. Where had he learned to say such things? Was this really the effect of hanging around Naruto and Sakura much? "Now I'm sighing too."

Hinata closed her eyes. "I think I'm going to be comfortable sleeping here."

"Take a nap," Sasuke advised her. "I'll take you back inside if they need you."

"Thank you," Hinata muttered.


	9. Peeping Kurenai and Kakashi

Author's Note: Do you like it so far? Wow, I've made 8 chapters na…! This is longer than I expected. Keep on reading and reviewing guys!

Disclaimer: I like Naruto without his orange jumpsuit. Was it a jumpsuit? But anyway… I don't own him.

_Ohohoho, what a very pretty sight,_ Kurenai thought. She wanted to go down there and congratulate them both, but she resisted the urge. Kakashi stood beside her, apparently interested in the scene. Hinata was asleep in Sasuke's lap, and he was stroking her hair with restraint.

"That's what we want to happen," she whispered to Kakashi.

"But isn't that what's happening already?" Kakashi asked quietly.

"Well, they're on a different level. I want them to be on another level, one much higher than this one."

He looked curiously at her, but she didn't answer, absorbed in the prospect before their eyes.

_Sasuke's in love already, but Hinata's still coming to that. Something's still keeping her._

"Kurenai?" Kakashi whispered in her ear.

"What?" she asked. He looked uncomfortable.

"I don't want to spy on them any longer. It ruins the mood," he said quietly.

_What mood? Is Kakashi finally learning about this thing?_ She sighed. "All right. Let's go somewhere else."

Somewhere else turned out to be roaming the streets. Both of them were talking about the conversation between Hinata and Sasuke. As soon as Kurenai saw Hinata and Sasuke go out the door, she made Kakashi go with her and follow them. They were among the treetops, watching the two chuunins, and listening to their conversation. They witnessed it all, including Sasuke giving Hinata a flower, them holding hands, and Hinata resting on Sasuke's lap. Oh yes. They heard every word that was spoken. Kurenai heard, even the unspoken words.

"I'm getting deeper into this business than I should have liked," Kakashi said.

"What do you mean?" Kurenai looked at him, puzzled.

"Well… Even I'm interested in what'll happen next. I've never seen anything like this before," Kakashi grudgingly admitted.

Kurenai smiled. "I rest my case."

"You permit me to take you out to dinner tomorrow night, then?" Kakashi asked her, looking at her curiously.

Kurenai was surprised. "Why… Sure."

They walked aimlessly for quite a while in silence. Kurenai noticed the lights close in the houses one by one, and decided she should get going. "I'm going to go home now, Kakashi. You should too."

He nodded, and both parted ways.

Kurenai jumped from roof to roof, mind fixed on the latest developments from Hinata and Sasuke. She smiled, wondering what would happen next. Even if she and Kakashi didn't create circumstances for them to get together, they were moving of their own accord. This made her happier. _I knew they only needed a push. My instincts are never wrong,_ she thought, going back to the time when Naruto had taken Sasuke with him to visit Hinata. That was when the whole Hyuuga-Uchiha thing began. She guessed correctly how it felt to watch the love of your life slip away from your fingers, and how he never was yours in the first place. Hinata was affected much more than she had thought, and even formerly coldhearted Neji felt sorry for his fragile cousin.

_Well, Hinata and Sasuke won't be alone anymore. _She smiled.


	10. Tsunade and the Autumn Festival

Author's Note: Personally, I don't like Tsunade's POVs. Ahehehe… I forgot to upload one chapter where it has her POV… It's between Chapter 3 and 4, I think… Oh well. Hat one chapter wasn't important, but this one is. Autumn Festival yay! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Rub it in my face, will you?

"I WAS WAITING THE WHOLE NIGHT FOR A DAMN REPORT!" Tsunade shouted. _Dammit, maybe I need to dock Yuuhi's pay sevety-five percent for this!_

"I'm extremely sorry, Hokage-sama. Do you want an explanation?"

"I most certainly do," Tsunade replied heatedly.

"Kakashi and I left Hinata and Sasuke to their own when we figured nothing more could be done. It was night when that happened; the two spend a long time just being with each other."

Tsunade's eyes brightened. "Ohh! Do tell, from the beginning, down to when you went home. Don't leave a single detail."

And tell Kurenai did. Tsunade listened carefully to what the jounin related to her. It was an interesting prospect, Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke falling in love. She was a woman, and it was in the nature of a woman to be romantic. This thing was exactly her cup of tea. She was exceedingly thankful that Yuuhi Kurenai came to her with her ingenious plan. Somehow, she felt involved, and felt very sorry for Hyuuga and Uchiha. Those two children needed a lot more love than the world was willing to give.

When Kurenai finished, Tsunade leaned back on her chair. "I see… How delightful. Now, I feel that I should have a part in this; how do you think would the village react if I put up an Autumn Festival?"

"An Autumn Festival… You're not thinking…!" A smile slowly formed in Kurenai's face.

"Yes," Tsunade smiled widely. A determined glint set in her eye. "The Anbu will take care of the menial work, like putting up decorations. I'm going to call you jounins later to distribute the work for the details of the festival. As soon as everything is settled, I'm going to announce it to the village."

Kurenai bowed. "As you wish, Hokage-sama. Shall I tell the other jounins?"

"No, I'll just call for a meeting later. Run along, now."

"As you wish." Kurenai bowed and walked out the door.

Tsunade grinned and rubbed her hands to herself. This was going to be fun. She poured herself a glass of wine. Since peace had settled on Konoha, nothing exciting had happened. This was the first event that she could put her finger on and be sure of a win-win situation.


	11. Kurenai's Preparations

Author's Note: Here I am again!! XD I still can't figure out the Autumn Festival though, so I need to buy some time. What do you think of the story so far? :p Thanks to all my reviewers! You really make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But in a crazy alternate univers I dreamed up, I was already in it. XD

Kurenai emerged from their training grounds after training Shino, Kiba, and Hinata. The three had remarkably become better in terms of all three jutsus. Even Hinata had surpassed Sakura's level. For that, she was very happy and proud of Hinata. It was five-thirty in the afternoon, and she was two hours shy of her dinner with Kakashi.

"I'm really proud of you three, keep up the good work," Kurenai told her students. A flush entered Hnata's face at the praise.

"Do you really think so, Kurenai-sensei?" she asked. Hinata may have lost her stutter and gained confidence, but shadows of her self-doubts still lingered.

"Of course I do, Hinata. I only ask that while you train harder, you're gearing up for being a medic nin, so you needn't compare yourself to other shinobis. And give yourself a break once in while, okay?"

Hinata nodded mutely and bowed, then melted off into the forest. Kurenai sighed. Poor Hinata had driven herself against the wall to become better, to please her family, since Hiashi Hyuuga had made it clear that he favored her little sister over her. It was a good thing that Neji no longer hated her, and had endeavored to protect her, of his own will more than the sense of duty.

She jumped up and sped to her apartment. Stripping her clothes at the door, she went in the bathroom to give herself a nice bath. She emerged an hour and a half later, and started to put on her freshly laundered shinobi clothes, but stopped. She knew Kakashi wouldn't bother dressing up; he wasn't that kind of guy. But still, she wanted to make a good impression so she pulled out a red dress and examined her reflection in the mirror. There. Better. She smiled alluringly at her reflection then went out.

Kakashi was at the entrance of the new restaurant, waiting for her. Her eyebrows rose up. Not only was he on time, but he was also wearing something nice for a change. _My God,_ she thought. _The world seems to be falling apart._ Nevertheless, she hid her puzzlement and wonder behind a cheery smile as he took her hand and led her in.

Kurenai couldn't help but be amazed at this behavior of Kakashi. It seemed out of character for him. He didn't have his porn book anywhere with him, too. _Kami-sama, has Hatake been taking lessons from Uchiha?_

"What would you like to order? My treat," Kakashi said.

"I'll take the bird's nest soup for the appetizer and sukiyaki for the main course," she said, looking through the menu laid on the table.

"Very good," said the waiter who was hovering behind them, unnoticed.

Kakashi made his order, and told the waiter to bring a bottle of champagne with him.

"Champagne," Kurenai repeated blankly. "Is this a celebration or something? Is there an event in Konoha that I didn't hear about?"

Kakashi examined her for a moment, and then looked away. "Sheesh, old lady, you need to get out more…" he muttered.

"What?" she demanded. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Kakashi waved a hand.

"Here are your appetizers," said their waiter, who placed two bowls of soup in front of them, and the champagne in a bucket of ice.

"Good service," Kakashi said approvingly.

The waiter bowed swiftly, and left.

Kurenai cocked her head. "Do we have something to discuss, Kakashi?"

Kakashi regarded her for a moment. He seemed to be debating on whether she was playing dumb or not. "No, no…" he said quietly. "I just…" he left the words hanging, as a frown creased Kurenai's face.


	12. Kakashi and Kurenai's Date

Author's Note: Well, here it is again! I used a little Japanese there… I know a little, so please correct me if I'm wrong! Hehehe… I still don't know what to do to the days leading up to the Autumn Festival… I would really appreciate suggestions at this point! Thanks!

Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto, but not me. But if I were Masashi… hehehe…

_Dammit, she's so unbelievable_, Kakashi thought. All night, Kurenai had been asking why he brought her here. He didn't know if she was bluffing or not. Certainly, this was a _date_. He didn't have the heart to say the words aloud, but she should've known that it was a date, since she was a woman and all. How else could she have figured that Hinata and Sasuke needed each other?

They ate their main courses in silence, making room for a little tête-à-tête. He was tense tonight; he could feel it emanating from his body. Kurenai looked absolutely stunning in her dress. He couldn't say anything else, so he contented on watching her.

When they were finished, both sat back in their seat, each immersing himself in his own world. _This isn't right. I need fresh air._ He stood up abruptly. "I'm going to go for a walk," he said.

"What the— aren't you going to invite me? We're here together in this restaurant, and we're going to leave together," she said firmly.

_Oh. Boku wa hontoni bakeru desu. _"You can go if you like."

He could see her gritting her teeth. "All right."

They left the restaurant together, the cold air meeting them as they headed out. Kurenai rubbed her arms. "Dammit," she muttered.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"I forgot to bring my jacket."

Without saying anything, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it around her. No matter, his sleeves will protect him from the cold.

They walked in silence. Once or twice he brushed her skin, and he was starting to feel a trickling from the inside of his pants. He chanced a glance at Kurenai, who seemed to be thinking about something.

"What are you thinking?"

His voice seemed to jerk her back to normality. "Oh… Nothing." She shook her head. He brushed her arm again, and he resisted the urge to hold her. She pointed to a bench near the water. "Let's sit there for a moment."

They sat down and looked out the sea for a moment. He sat closer to her. He was just bending his head to hers when an old man came out of the Ichiraku.

"Ah, Hatake-kun! Hitting on the girls, are we?" he winked and flashed a salute at Kakashi before going back inside.

Kakashi gnashed his teeth. _Damn ojisan! _He looked down at Kurenai's curves, mainly at her cleavage. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before saying something. "Kurenai…"

"What?" she asked.

"Let's go to my apartment."


	13. The Morning After

Author's Note: I got some encouraging reviews from the last chapter! And now, here is the continuation to Kurenai and Kakashi's date. Hope you enjoy it! Hahaha… It was turned into a hentai chapter… But based from the smuts Kichou wrote, people were pretty hot for them. So, without further ado—except for the disclaimer—here it is!

Disclaimer: Heh!

"Mmmh..." Kurenai stirred, throwing the blanket over her eyes.

The morning sun streamed through the window, and she watched the suspended dust particles through bleary eyes. Suddenly, under the covers, a wiry, muscled arm snaked around her naked waist.

"Morning," Kakashi mumbled. His voice sounded muffled, and she figured he had put on his mask again.

"Morning," she mumbled back. His arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her close. His free hand caressed her skin lightly, and she shivered upon contact. He pulled her even closer, her whole body was pressing against his tightly. She could feel his shaft hardening, and she raked her nails lightly around the area.

"Don't stop," he said, his voice hoarse.

"But I must," she whispered, and stopped her ministrations. "We're going to be late for work."

"Let them think we had a day off," he replied. "And have some more fun." So saying, he rolled around so he was on top of her. Pinning her body with his, he whispered, "I won't let you get away."

"I'd love to, Kakashi, but please," she said in a soft voice. "We can always do it again at the end of the day."

He nuzzled her neck with the tip of his nose, the fabric of his mask tickling her bare skin. "Give me one good reason why."

"So we can have something to look forward to?" she asked innocently.

He rolled over again so that she was on top. "You win," he said, evidently aroused at the idea that they were going to do it again later.

She straddled his waist and bent over. The tips of her breasts were barely touching his uncovered chest. He tried to grab them, but then she held them teasingly out of reach.

"I thought we were going to do it later?" he asked.

In reply, she sucked at the base of his throat gently. Kakashi moaned, and his hands went up to press her body closer to his. He started to unzip his pants, but Kurenai stopped his hand. "I told you, later," she said, but she didn't get off him.

"You really do enjoy teasing me, don't you?" he asked with a twinkle in his visible eye.

Kurenai smiled, and then sat up. She took her time unwinding her legs from his. "We're going to be late if we don't hurry."

None of them moved quickly, however. Each was savoring the promise to come at the end of the day.


	14. Tsunade Realizes

Tsunade tapped the surface of her desk impatiently. "Late again for duty! It doesn't bother me if you're late in training your teams, but you two—oh!" She covered her mouth with her hands as a sudden realization hit her. She winked knowingly at them. "Well, well, I suppose we need to get out of our shells for a while. Just don't let it happen again."

She shooed them out of her office and propped her feet up on the desk. "Well, well… I never thought…" A smile formed on her lips. This was rather surprising, but to be expected nonetheless. Yuuhi and Hatake… What an interesting combination!

She looked outside her window. The preparations for the festival were well under way, and the Anbu were hard at work. Scaffoldings of all shapes and sizes were erected in various places, and quite a crowd had gathered outside the barrier they set up, watching the construction.

A knock came on her door. "Come in," she automatically said.

Iruka came in with a bunch of papers in his hands. "These are for you to sign, Hokage-sama."

She nodded deeply, not even looking at him. "Yes, thank you." When he was gone, she looked at the village square again. In about two weeks and a half, the festival would commence. She hoped the event would be the setting of the climax she had anticipated.

Author's Note: Sorry to keep everyone waiting! I knew I should've posted a new chapter earlier—and something longer than this, but I was having second thoughts about this fic. But fear not! I've found new inspiration, and I'll continue to make new chapters. At least I'll try to anyway—what with leadership training and Kingdom Hearts. ;) Thanks for the reviews! It helped me keep going.


	15. Sasuke Ponders

"Thanks for waiting, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said as she slid into a seat across him.

"No problem," he said simply as he gazed at her. He never was going to tire of simply looking at Hinata.

"I hope you didn't wait too long," she said anxiously.

_Sweet Hinata. Always thinking of others. _"No, I didn't. Don't worry," he said reassuringly. He smiled at her as an afterthought.

"That's good," she smiled at him in a way that made him warm all over. "Shall we order?"

"Go ahead. Order for me," he shrugged. He scanned the menu anyway.

She flashed a smile at him again, and she raised her hand. A waiter approached her.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am. What would you like to have?" the waiter asked in a mellifluous tone.

"One beef sukiyaki, and a shrimp tempura, please," Hinata said to the waiter.

"And drinks?" the waiter asked.

"A pot of hot tea, _please_," Sasuke said.

"Will that be all?" the waiter asked again.

"Yes, _thank you,_" Sasuke replied. When the waiter left, he shook his head. "I'm getting too polite for my own good."

Hinata giggled. "That's not a bad thing, is it?"

He mock glared at her. "That's what I get for being around with you too much.

She giggled again. "Good thing or bad thing?"

"Oh, good, of course," he said quickly, winking at her.

Sasuke made his way to his bedroom that night, replaying the day's events in his mind. He had lunch with Hinata at a Japanese restaurant, and generally enjoyed themselves.

_"I'm getting too polite for my own good."_

_Hinata giggled. "That's not a bad thing, is it?"_

_He pretended to glare at her. "That's what I get for being around you too much."_

_"That's what I get for being around you too much."_

After that day in the hospital, they had gradually become the best of friends. They spent their time together, ate meals together, and talked. He was comfortable around her, and she told her secrets to him.

What would happen if he was alone, no Hinata in his life? Naruto was his childhood friend, but now he spent all his time with Sakura, and he was left alone. When Hinata came along, he wasn't alone again. He loved the feeling of being with her, just being able to sit beside her.

Hinata was most important to him, and his love for her exceeded platonic boundaries. But was he important to Hinata? He knew that he was important to her, but how much?

Author's Note: Yo! Another short chapter… This one and the previous chapter were fillers, expect things heating up! I was sort of thinking about Itachi showing up and inviting Hinata to join the Akatsuki—well, what do you guys think? Depending on feedback, maybe I'll put him there, and give a nice twist to the story. :P Anyway, Neji and Hinata… Good or bad? Or both? I posted a one-shot of 'em… Heheh, this is shameless plugging… Anyway, I changed my name.


	16. Hinata Gets Teased

Hinata scanned her surroundings irritably. She half-expected to see Sasuke to come out from the shadows of the trees. They were patrol partners since the last week—a blessing she had taken to in the most wonderful way—and he had never been late. Their shift was at six-thirty to eleven-thirty. It was seven now, and she had started to patrol alone fifteen minutes earlier. There was a visible frown line on her forehead. Sasuke was the only person she had been comfortable with, aside from Neji. She was so comfortable with him that she wasn't afraid of feeling irritated. Usually with other people, she would be shy and nervous, but not with him.

She quickened her pace and activated her Byakugan as she walked around the walls. She remembered the poisoned shinobi she encountered then. When she had seen him, she knew exactly what to do, without fear or hesitation. She was in her element: healing injured nins. She remembered the feeling as they praised her for her work, but her heart dropped with a sickening thud when she realized her father wasn't even there to at least give her a compliment. In fact, he had not been at the party _at all. _And not once did he even visit her during her sojourn at the hospital.

She shook her head. With the way he was acting, she shouldn't treat him as family. He didn't even treat her as a daughter, what more did she expect from him?

"He's not a father to me," she muttered. "I shouldn't even be a daughter to him. I don't deserve him; he doesn't deserve me. I will become stronger… but not for him. I hate him! He is trash, nothing but white-eyed _trash_!"

Her pace slowed as she absorbed her words. Did she mean any of that? The momentary hatred that had flared up during her recollections was subsiding now. She knew, when the feeling had subsided completely, she wouldn't even dare of speaking against him, even when only to herself. She sighed at herself. There was no denying it—she was weak. Weak and pathetic. Her father had every right to be humiliated by her. She even humiliated herself. She was supposed to belong to an elite family, but she didn't even have the courage to tell Academy Students off when she caught them playing hooky.

Something wet her cheek, and the warm liquid jerked her out of her self-pity. Another tear drop escaped from her eyes and fell to her cheeks. Forgetting about her patrol duties, she sat down and started to cry.

How long she had been sitting there, she didn't know. Judging by the length of the shadows, it was ten-thirty. She winced. She must have fallen asleep after crying.

_Weak,_ she berated herself, but she shook the self-deprecating thought out of her head. She dusted her pants and resumed her shift. The heat of the sun was starting to make itself felt. When she had finished walking around the walls, she climbed on a tree branch and scanned the aerial surroundings. Usually, if Sasuke was with her—or any other partner—Hinata would walk around the walls, and someone else would scan the view from above, or vice versa.

She sat on the branch and leaned against the trunk. Irritation was replaced by worry now. What could have happened to him? Was he sick? He didn't leave any note or message as to why he wasn't going on duty today.

Looking down on the gates, she saw Ino and TenTen approaching. She jumped down from the tree and met them.

"Good morning, Hinata-chan," both of them greeted her, smiling. They had come to relieve her of her duty and take their shift.

"Good morning," she greeted back, a fine sheen of sweat clinging to her neck.

"Why isn't Sasuke-kun with you today?" Ino asked, puzzled. "He is your partner, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Hinata answered, a little shyly. "I don't know why he's absent today too."

"He didn't leave any message of some sort?" Tenten asked, adjusting the collar of her shirt.

"Oh, an engagement ring!" Hinata exclaimed, her hands flying to her face. "Wow, so Neji-niisan has proposed already! You're a lucky woman, TenTen-san!"

TenTen blushed slightly. "Yes, well, he did… The other night. Isn't it wonderful?" she held up her hand to look at the ring. "He looks so cold and uncaring, but he's so sweet on the inside." She beamed.

"That's really great," Hinata smiled at her. "What about Shikamaru-kun, Ino-san?"

Ino gave a shrug. "He's still lazy as usual. I should think proposing would be too troublesome for him!"

"But he took the time to court you, didn't he?" Tenten elbowed Ino's side.

"Yeah, well…" Ino turned a little pink. "Anyway, I'm confident he'll pop the question sooner or later. I'll just have to wait." She gave a resigned sigh. "But _you,_ Hinata-chan," Ino gave a knowing wink, "what about you and Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah! You two are thick as thieves these days," TenTen smiled slyly at Hinata.

"Oh! W-what do you m-mean?" she stammered a little. She blushed several shades of red before settling on a deep crimson.

"What do _I _mean?" Ino replied incredulously. "You two—"

"She's blushing!" TenTen exclaimed joyfully. She leaned in conspiratorially. "How long have you been together?"

"W-w-we're not together!" Hinata stammered out, holding up her hands. "We-we're just best friends."

"_Just best friends,_" Ino scoffed. "Hinata-chan, you should be proud! Sasuke-kun doesn't let anyone get close to him! _You _are very lucky!"

She turned redder, if that was possible. "I-I know I'm lucky," she said. "But really, we're not together or anything."

"You're just jealous because Sasuke-kun never gave you the benefit of a conversation, Ino-chan," TenTen needled her companion.

"Yeah—well, that's true. I _am_ a little jealous," Ino admitted. "But I think if Sasuke-kun didn't look at me before, he never will now. That's why I gave up on him."

"Like-like Sakura-san?" Hinata asked, not a little warily.

"Yeah," Ino answered, looking thoughtful. "She arrived at the same conclusion, and began to see Naruto's… value. And then it hit her one day, I guess. He'd been asking her out all his life, and finally she agreed. Look at them now, two little lovebirds, in their own little world."

Hinata's heart fell a little at the mention of Sakura and Naruto, but it didn't affect her as much as Ino and TenTen's sly insinuations about her and Sasuke.

"Cheer up, Hinata-chan!" TenTen put a comforting hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Who knows, maybe someone's just biding his time." She winked, and shivers shot down Hinata's spine.

"I hope so," Hinata mumbled, her gaze dropping. Abruptly, she looked at them and said, a little more confidently, "bye, Ino-san, TenTen-san! Ino-san, I hope Shikamaru-kun would pop the question sooner than later. Best wishes, TenTen-san!"

"Bye Hinata-chan," both of them said. As Hinata was a good six paces away, Ino added, "I hope Sasuke-kun asks you out! You two are perfect together!"

Hinata stopped momentarily in her tracks, and resumed walking, raising her hand in farewell. She went to her home to prepare something for Sasuke.

Author's Note: What did you guys think? I know TenTen and Ino are OOC. I'm sorry… I don't really know much about them. They really weren't one of my favorites. Anyway, read and review, folks! And thanks very much for those who reviewed the previous chapters! Thanks so much, guys! And especially to **Chibi Tetra**... Anyway, I made a new Hinata-centric fic called _The Best Thing in Life. _Be sure to look out for it! It's already published, but still no reviews... TT Darn.

gets whacked Shame on me! XD Man, this really is shameful plugging XD Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!


	17. Sasuke's Experiment

Sasuke, on the other hand, was driving himself insane. For the sake of his experiment, he kept himself inside the house. Like a scientist exploring undiscovered laws, he was testing himself to see how far he could go without any contact with Hinata. It wasn't easy. He was locked in a furious battle of wills between his Hinata-crazed state and his logic.

He tried to let himself out of the house, but as soon as he felt the cold metal of the lock, he would come back to his senses and run upstairs to his room, hiding himself under a sea of blankets. Several times this happened, and he felt his sanity slip away with every second that passed.

Strange. He felt empty and mechanical, when he pushed away the impending insanity. He missed Hinata's smile, her warmth, her sighing, her staring out at the horizon, her eyes—everything about her.

He tried to keep himself busy, and that was a little success, at least. He had managed to clean the house in between bouts of deep thinking and distractedness. He had started out at seven, and it was now eleven forty-five. Eleven-thirty was when their patrol would end.

Finally, when he got sick of scrubbing, he settled for watching the TV, bundling himself up with blankets from his room. Strange. Aside from feeling deranged, distracted, empty, and mechanical, he was also feeling cold. There was a keening coldness that haunted him, even if the air conditioner wasn't on, and the windows weren't open.

"Remember," he muttered to himself. "Once Hinata shows up, this madness ends."

He opened the set and surfed the channels, finally resting on a noontime variety show. The annoyingly cheerful voices of the hosts were nothing but a mere buzz in his ears as he lapsed into thinking about Hinata again. A timer had gone off from the TV, and he was brought back to reality again. It seemed that this was a mini-quiz show, and the timer was ticking away while the contestant was sweating profusely under time pressure, trying to think of an answer as best as he could.

He focused his attention on the TV. The question for the next contestant was flashed on the screen: What is the plural from of walkman? "Walkmen," the contestant proudly answered. "Sorry, that's not right," the hosts told him. Odd, what _was _the plural of walkman? And discman, for that matter? He never heard the answer as he got out of his comfort zone to answer the door when the doorbell rang.

He walked lazily, missing the comfort of the couch with the blankets. The clock read exactly twelve, but he couldn't feel his appetite. For a second, he played with the idea of not answering the door and staying where he was, but the person ringing the doorbell surely should have heard the blare of the TV.

He threw the door open, not bothering to look at the peephole first. In his current state, he couldn't care less if it was Itachi and the rest of the Akatsuki. In fact, he had hoped so and maybe he could invite the S-class criminals to tea at the Japanese restaurant he and Hinata had eaten in the day before…

But it wasn't Itachi and the rest of the Akatsuki.

It was Hinata herself, his Hinata, Hyuuga Hinata, with a rather large container in her hands, smiling at him in the way which always made him feel warm all over. The chill he had felt earlier dissipated.

"You—you," he stuttered out, for a moment, surprised, shocked, happy, relieved, elated, his control of speech lost for the moment. "Hinata-chan!"

"Sasuke-kun! I missed you at patrol today. I was worried when you didn't come, so I went and cooked a little something before coming here. Did you already have lunch?" Hinata said all these with the ease she felt whenever Sasuke was around.

"I—no, I haven't had lunch yet, I didn't prepare anything… Did I worry you? I'm really sorry," he said, still amazed and surprised. He was too busy thinking about his Hinata-less day that he forgot she would actually come and see what was wrong with him.

"Don't worry about it," she smiled at him. "Good, I haven't had lunch too! I made chicken curry for us." She held up the container. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course…" he said, opening the door wider. _Ironic_, he thought. The roles were reversed: he was the one who was bewildered and stuttering, and she was the one who was cool, calm, and collected.

She went inside, and looked curiously at the TV, which was turned up to unnaturally loud. She turned her eyes around the room, which was sparkling clean. "Is this what you did while you were here? What happened to you anyway? Are you sick?" She fired a barrage of questions and felt his forehead. "You are a little hot. I'll open the windows so that fresh air can come in," she said, while already on her way to open the windows.

When this was done, she turned and smiled at him again, but then her smile was replaced by a worried frown. "Sasuke-kun, is something wrong?"

"I… no, everything's fine!" he exclaimed as he ushered her to the kitchen. "Wait there!" he exclaimed, as he rushed outside and leaned on the door, sliding down. He took several deep breaths to steady himself. Hinata was here! They were going to have lunch in his house!

_Calm down, baka! How many times have you had lunch with her? This is just one of those times!_

She—she went… I can't believe she went!

_Of course she would, teme! She's your best friend, isn't she? Of course she'd be worried! It doesn't necessarily need to be translated into anything!_

She cares about me… I'm important to her…

_Of course, dammit! Is her presence so unnerving that you unravel before her?_

Yeah, she is! I can't help it! She's the most important person I've come across in my life since… since Itachi… and the clan…

_Well… Good! Now, get your butt in there before she starts to wonder what happened to you! You damn floundering idiot!_

How dare you talk to me like that!

_Get your butt inside! Move!_

Alright!

He took a deep breath, and went inside again. When he was inside, he was Sasuke again—cool, unruffled, and not in the least flustered. He leaned against the wall and watched her.

"Sasuke-kun!" Hinata turned to him with a smile. "I hope you don't mind—I've prepared some rice to go with the curry."

"Oh, do whatever you want," he waved a hand. "Just don't get yourself burned."

She turned back to her task again, but he could feel her smiling. "So, what happened to you? Why didn't you show up for work today?" she asked while washing the rice.

"I—I don't know," he said. "When I woke up this morning, I decided to do some cleaning.

"You didn't leave a message," she said, with a hint of a reprimand in her voice.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I'm sorry. But I just felt that I had to do it right away. Anyway, most of it's done now, so I'm just going to finish it up later."

"Oh, I see," she said, as she placed the pot of rice on the stove and turned on the stove. "I'll help you, then!"

He sat down on a chair. "Thanks Hinata-chan, but I think—"

"Oh, no buts," she told him firmly. "This is the least you can do for me, as you left me to patrol alone!"

He winced, at the last part of her words. Hinata had patrolled alone, without anyone. It made him feel guilty. But backpedaling to her whole statement, he was surprised at her. Really, she was extraordinary, so unlike the other girls. His payment for letting her do a two-person job alone was to let her _help_ him _clean house?_ He repeated this to her, and she chuckled.

"I love cleaning the house," she told him, sitting down in front of him. Then she started as something entered her mind. "Do you have teabags or leaves, Sasuke-kun?"

"Um… none. I only have water," he said sheepishly.

"That's alright," she smiled at him. She stood up and began to look for the teakettle. When she found it, she washed it and filled it with water, then placed it on the stove.

Looking at her, as she bent over the stove, one thought entered his mind—'domesticated.' It certainly fit Hinata, as she had a caring nature. He smiled at the thought. She would make a great wife someday, and her husband would be lucky. Very lucky.

_But wouldn't _you _like to be her husband?_

Shut up! We'll get to that in the future. It's too early to think about that.

_But wouldn't you?_

I said it's too early.

_But wouldn't you?_

All right! I would, all right! There, are you happy now!

Hinata sat down again, while his face remained as impassive as ever, revealing not a single hint of an inner conflict that was taking place.

"What about tea?" he asked, looking at the kettle heating on the stove.

"Oh, I have tea bags with me," she said, holding out five packets from her pocket. "I brought some along just in case."

He smiled at her. She truly was a wonderful young woman. Just then, the rice began to boil as the doorbell rang.

He sighed. Who was it? "Don't move," he told her. "I mean, don't set the table! I'm going to set it as soon as I come back here. If I find the table set, I'm not going to forgive you… no! I'm not going to let you help me finish the cleaning," he threatened.

She went to the stove, pouted at him, and he chuckled at her, and went to open the door.

He was smiling as he opened the door, which revealed Kakashi (sent by Kurenai, of course). His eye was twinkling; behind the mask was a smile. "Hello, Sasuke," he said. "Care to let me in?"

"All right," Sasuke said grudgingly, his smile vanishing. He hoped Kakashi wouldn't stay long; he still had Hinata in the kitchen.

Kakashi stepped inside and Sasuke closed the door. "I heard you were absent at the patrol today," he said. "I just came to check up on you."

"It's all right, I'm fine," Sasuke said.

The kitchen door opened. "Sasuke-kun, all I did was put the rice into a bowl, I promise!" Hinata stuck her head out the door. "Oh! I'm sorry, that was rude!" She stepped out and bowed. "Good afternoon, Kakashi-sensei."

"Good afternoon, Hinata-chan," Kakashi greeted her. His eye twinkled brightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I fixed lunch for Sasuke-kun," she replied politely. "Would you like to join us?"

Sasuke turned to her helplessly. He wanted to tell her no, don't ask him that, but Kakashi said, "that's great! I hear your cooking is really famous, Hinata-chan. I'd like nothing better than to sample it."

Hinata smiled, and led him into the kitchen. Sasuke followed inside, and started to set the table for three.

"Oops, it looks like I'm interrupting something. A lunch date, perhaps?" Kakashi asked mischievously.

Hinata blushed. "Oh n-no, nothing at-at all! Isn't-isn't that right, Sa-Sasuke-kun?" she stuttered out, unnerved.

Sasuke was surprised. Hinata had unraveled faster than a spool of silk at the mention of a date. "Right," he answered slowly.

"Good, good!" Kakashi rubbed his hands.

Sasuke finished setting the table, and poured the curry from the container into a decent bowl. He sniffed the aroma. "Mm, smells great, Hinata-chan! I can't wait to eat."

Hinata smiled at him, and began to help, but Sasuke stopped her with an "uh-uh-uh. No helping! Later!" She smiled even wider as she shook her head.

He sat her down the gentlemanly way, earning another smile from Hinata. Then he and Kakashi sat down, and piled rice on their plates.

Sasuke spooned some of the curry soup, and tasted it. "This is so delicious!" he exclaimed, his dark eyes lighting up.

"I'm glad you like it, Sasuke-kun," Hinata replied cheerfully as she put some rice on her plate.

Kakashi also tasted some. "Mm, really delicious, Hinata-chan! Your future husband would be proud." He looked slyly at Sasuke.

Hinata blushed and began to eat.

**-o0o-**

A/N: Hello, dear readers! You've really made me happy with your reviews. Keep reading and reviewing, and I'll keep writing! I'm doing this for all of you! XD Especially for the SasuHina shippers out there! -points at the number of reviews- Well, whaddaya know! I've already passed the 50 mark! Wow…! XD

Anyway, I've made a new fic, _The Best Things in Life. _It's a SasuHinaGaa high school fic. I've always wanted to do high school fics! XD If it's not too much to ask, please read it too! Anko, our scary dango-eating Jounin is a Math sensei, Kakashi is an English sensei, Iruka in Science, Kurenai in Home Economics, Gai in Health and P.E., and… I forgot the rest. Teeheehee! There's kind of a major Neji OOC in there, but what the heck. –gets whacked for shameless plugging-


	18. Hinata Almost Gets Asked

"Good-bye, Kakashi-sensei," Hinata bowed him out the door as Sasuke stood beside her, arms crossed.

"Good-bye, Hinata-chan, Sasuke. I look forward to another meal!" Kakashi winked at Hinata and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

When he was gone, Hinata softly shut the door and turned to Sasuke.

"Hmph, that baka," he muttered, more to himself. "I bet he's looking for free food."

Hinata placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't be like that, Sasuke-kun! Lighten up!" she smiled and tilted her head. "Anyway, I'm sure Kakashi-sensei meant well, coming here and checking up on you."

He snorted, but his eyes softened on Hinata. "You're always like that, aren't you?"

"Always like what?" she asked curiously. She looked at him, studying his expression. His arms were crossed and his face revealed nothing, except his eyes, which looked at her affectionately. She could feel the heat rise up to her cheeks as Sasuke stared at her intently, also studying her.

He uncrossed his arms and led the way to the kitchen. "Always seeing the good in others."

"Well," she said slowly. "If I wouldn't be like that, then I'd have no reason to live."

She sat down and he leaned against the wall. "I see," he answered. "That makes sense."

She glanced at him, and remembered Ino and TenTen's needling.

_"But you, Hinata-chan," Ino gave a knowing wink, "what about you and Sasuke-kun?"_

_"Yeah! You two are thick as thieves these days," TenTen smiled slyly at Hinata._

_"Oh! W-what do you m-mean?" she stammered a little. She blushed several shades of red before settling on a deep crimson._

_"What do I mean?" Ino replied incredulously. "You two—"_

_"She's blushing!" TenTen exclaimed joyfully. She leaned in conspiratorially. "How long have you been together?"_

_"W-w-we're not together!" Hinata stammered out, holding up her hands. "We-we're just best friends."_

_"Just best friends," Ino scoffed. "Hinata-chan, you should be proud! Sasuke-kun doesn't let anyone get close to him! You are very lucky!"_

_She turned redder, if that was possible. "I-I know I'm lucky," she said. "But really, we're not together or anything."_

"Sasuke-kun…" she said slowly.

"Hmm?" Sasuke regarded her with a mild curiosity.

"A-ano…" she poked her fingers together. "Ano sa…"

"Stop that." Sasuke sat beside her and held her hands. "Don't show people you're nervous, otherwise they'll take advantage of you."

"Sorry…" she said, turning red. Sasuke's hands were soft and warm against hers. She liked him holding her hands.

"Now, what were you going to say?"

She shook her head. "I—never mind. It-it probably wouldn't be best not to talk about it." She sighed. She quailed under Sasuke's penetrating gaze. With nothing to occupy her hands, she contented herself with shaking her head vigorously.

"Why not?" he asked her. "We're alone, and nobody can hear us. Tell me."

"Um… Alright…" she took a deep breath, knowing this was a delicate matter. "I met Ino-san and TenTen-san today… And they were asking about us… If-if we were… Together…"

Sasuke squeezed her hand, and she hid a smile, liking the feeling immensely. "What did you tell them?" he asked.

"Well… I told them of course not, we weren't together… We're just… We're best friends. But… But tell me, Sasuke-kun… Tell me something…"

He looked at her, focusing his whole attention on her. "What is it?"

"You know Ino-san and Sakura-san have been trying to get you to notice them when we were younger," she said in a low voice. "Why didn't you give them attention? They were pretty and smart."

"There are many reasons, Hinata-chan," he said, letting go of her hands. He placed his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

"Tell me all of them." She took a deep breath, and laced her hands together, not wanting the feel of Sasuke's hand on hers to go away soon.

"Alright. One, sure they were pretty. Pretty loud. I don't really care for loud girls, Hinata-chan. Two, they're always arguing about me. I don't want any girl to quarrel with anyone because of me. Three, if I give them the time of the day, they'll hound me for the rest of my life. Four, my fan club will get angry and might cause trouble for the village. Five, I… I'm waiting until I see the best one for me." Sasuke exhaled slowly as he finished voicing out his reasons.

"You—you said you liked girls with long hair," Hinata said, subconsciously fingering her dark locks. They were not too long, but not too short. Her bangs were long enough to be tucked behind her ears.

"I still do," he said simply. "However, if I don't like her attitude and behavior, even if her hair reached the ends of the earth, I still wouldn't like her."

"I—I see…" Hinata faltered, fiddling with her hair, looking at the man beside her, Sasuke still looked like the arrogant boy she knew of, but she knew he wasn't like that when you get to know him. He was still good-looking, but to her, he wasn't arrogant or bossy. He was mature, caring, and kind. His eyes were warm and his touch was gentle.

"As for Ino and TenTen…" he looked sideways at her and she blushed. "Do you—do you…" he hesitated, and his voice trailed off. He cleared his throat. "I'm not really good at this," he mumbled.

"That's… okay. I understand," she said, looking everywhere but at him. _No, I don't really understand! Are you about to ask me what I think you were going to ask? _She studied her fingernails intently. The room was silent. A sudden movement caught the corner of her eye, followed by a splintering crash. She yelped and knelt down on the floor next to Sasuke.

He groaned, raising himself on one elbow and rubbing his back with his other hand. He glared at the pieces of wood that once belonged to the chair he was sitting on. "Stupid chair," he muttered.

"Are you alright?" she helped him up, her small hands holding on to the small of his back. Holding him that way made her feel so good.

"Yeah," he replied, testing his upper body. "Nothing's broken."

She activated her Byakugan. "You're fine. Let's go sit in the living room, or better yet," she brightened, "let's finish the house cleaning!"

"Okay," Sasuke replied. "I haven't finished the basement and the rest of the rooms."

"Let's start!" Hinata grabbed him by the arm and went off in search of brooms and the dustpan.

* * *

A/N: Yoshi! XD Another chapter again… Thanks so much for the reviews! I love getting reviews! XD So far, no flames… Well, not that I'm asking for them anyway.

Anyway, do you all remember the Autumn Festival? Well, I have a surprise for you guys about that. Watch out for it!

**Chibi Tetra- **Yup, that was exactly what I wanted to emphasize!

**Audriel- **Now, at least you know there an inner Sasuke too, lol! XD

**KKSG- **Oh, Kakashi's mask! Ahahaha… Forgot about that… Let's just say they didn't really notice it because they were too engrossed in Hinata's cooking!

**chinadoll27- **Oh wow, I saw your review in my other fic too! Thanks so much! Well, there's still the Autumn Festival, and I'm going to give it a little twist… Ahah ahahah… Um, yeah… XD

And to everyone else who reviewed this chapter and the other chapter, a great big hug and THANK YOU SO MUCH!


	19. Kurenai and Kakashi Sitting on a Tree

"Really? What was she doing there?" Kurenai asked, swinging her legs. She was sitting high on a treetop, with Kakashi's head on her lap. It was late afternoon, and they were taking the time off. Kakashi had reported to her of seeing Hinata in Sasuke's home.

"They were going to have lunch together," Kakashi replied. He was looking towards the far horizon, a smile forming on his lips at the thought of Sasuke and Hinata.

"But how did you know? Why did you go there in the first place, anyway?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

"I came to check up on Sasuke, because he didn't show up at his patrol duty today. You know he and Hinata are partners," his eye twinkled.

A smile spread over Kurenai's face. The Hokage had orchestrated the changing of patrol partners so that Sasuke and Hinata could be together, even on duty. "But why was he absent?"

"That I don't know too. Even if Hinata hadn't asked me to lunch, Sasuke wouldn't have told me anyway," he replied. "It must be one of those I-don't-feel-like-going-to-work days."

"Mm... Probably…" she tapped her chin, looking thoughtful. "But something tells me it's more than that."

"That intuition of yours again?"

"Right." She placed an elbow on Kakashi's chest. "What did Hinata cook for lunch?" she was proud of her student in every aspect, especially her cooking. Hinata was a whiz at cooking, even more than at taijutsu.

"Chicken curry," he said, remembering his delicious lunch. Lying peacefully like this after a heavy lunch was making him drowsy. "It was good, I tell you."

"Oh, I know." Her chest swelled with pride. "It's just a shame that she lacks confidence in herself. If she hadn't gone through Hiashi's browbeating, she'd be more confident. If that happened, she might have been the one to ask Naruto out when they were younger."

"There's no use in thinking about that," Kakashi said. "If she hadn't been bullied, things may still have turned out differently from what you were thinking."

"I guess," Kurenai shrugged. "C'mon," she said, removing Kakashi's head from her lap. He protested with a grunt, but she ignored him. "Let's report this to Hokage-sama."

"You do that," he said, waving a hand, "I'll take a nap."

"Fine," she huffed, and disappeared through the trees.

He smiled to himself and took out his Icha Icha Paradise. It was time for the thing he now liked second best, next to lying beside Kurenai in a bed.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for your wonderful reviews! You make me keep on writing! -points at the number of reviews- Wow; only nine more and I'll be able to achieve my dream! XD We're sorta kinda nearing the end here; only a few more chapters and I'll have a finished multi-part fic under my belt. Anyway, don't forget to try out my other fic, _The Best Things in Life_. It's an SasuHinaGaa AU with the lovable Hinata as the main character. 

I'll answer reviews as much as I possibly can… If you don't get your review answered, still bear in mind that you have my heartfelt thanks!

**DFGH: **Oh, they will get together… Very soon… XD Even though it's a short review, you still made me happy! Thanks!

**horoxren: **Oh wow…! So I made you a Naruto lover cuz of my fic? No kidding! I'm so happy! Thanks for sparing time to read!

**Shanice Miharu: **_Wahaha! Opo, magiging sila, _I can guarantee that!

**Jasmine Starlight: **Congratulations! XD Please step to the information desk to claim your prize… XD

**Chibi Tetra: **I actually didn't mean for them to clean house… -scratches head- But I didn't mean otherwise too… I never realized that both of them cleaning would be cute! XD Too bad we won't see what they're doing… XD

**Kirin Kage the Shadow Girl: **I can answer that! XD Sasuke was leaning back with only the back legs on the ground, and the front legs up in the air… Gah, sorry can't fully explain it well!

**Cheza Pizza: **Don't worry about it. n.n

**Maynar Namiya: **Thanks for the welfare for my future XD "O un buen provenir para tu futuro; no se si este bien escrito en ingles" I don't know what that means, though!

**Audriel: **Well yea, I didn't know that too. XD –winks-

**asumakurenai: **I think so too. Actually, Kakashi/Iruka is better. XDXDXD

**KKSG: **Um, they were busy with the food? XD


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